Ashes To Ashes row over 'Fire up the Quattro' catchphrase as star Phil Glenister claims he coined it - NOT the writers

It was a catchphrase that Ashes to Ashes viewers now associate with the politically-incorrect, hard-talking, womanising DCI Gene Hunt.

And Philip Glenister, who played the Mancunian copper in the Eighties time-travelling police drama, has revealed that it was he who came up with his famous line - 'Fire up the Quattro!'

But his declaration angered the show's writer Matthew Graham who has insisted that he invented it.

Taking the credit: Philip Glenister, seen here as DCI Gene Hunt in Ashes To Ashes, said he came up with his alter ego's catchphrase, 'Fire up the Audi'

Glenister, 48, said he came up with the well-known quote for his character, after he was constantly told Quattro jokes on the back of his tough-talking character, who drives a red imported Audi Quattro on the show.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Glenister, who also played the character in the show's prequel, Life On Mars, said: 'The writers maintain "Fire up the Quattro" was their idea, but it was mine.

'They will dispute it but - sorry guys - put it in print.'

Not happy: Ashes To Ashes and Life On Mars writer Matthew Graham said he came up with the famous line

The catchphrase was also used by the Conservative Party in an election poster in April 2010, with David Cameron superimposed on the body of Hunt.

But Graham who wrote Ashes To Ashes and Life On Mars with Ashley Pharoah, took to his Twitter page to furiously announce that Glenister was not responsible for the quote.

He wrote: 'In the Radio Times you will read that Phil created "Fire up the Quattro". He didn't. Nor did "the writers". It was me.

'I have drafts of Ashes going back to before he was even shown the script. Originally it was "fire up the Princess".